Incident Details
According to the student pilot, who was also a rated commercial pilot working toward his 20 hours of aircraft indoctrination, the flight was intended to practice emergency procedures and gain familiarity with the helicopter. The student was flying and decided to fly over an Indian Reservation to view a motocross track for future photography work.
Maneuvers and Control Transfer
The student instructed the instructor to take the controls and fly a racetrack pattern over the track, including an aerial application-type turn at the end to reverse course. The student planned to duplicate the maneuver afterward. During control transitions, they would confirm with phrases like "You got it" or "Okay, I got it." After completing the maneuvers over the track, a critique was conducted while the student was flying in a hover.
Accident Sequence
Following the critique, the student told the instructor to fly them out and head to Ramona. According to the student, when the instructor took the controls and said "I got it," the helicopter drifted slightly and lost altitude. The student then got back on the controls, but the instructor repeated "I got it" and released them. The helicopter again drifted, and the student observed through the lower bubble a rock protruding from brush about 5 feet high. The helicopter drifted over, the skid struck the rock, and the helicopter entered a dynamic rollover.
Examination
The Safety Board examined the wreckage after recovery. No airframe or engine pre-accident discrepancies or mechanical malfunctions were observed during the examination of the recovered remains.